By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
Scottie Wilbekin sat down with Eurohoops during the EuroLeague preseason media day to open up about embarking on a completely fresh chapter.
For a veteran playmaker who knows precisely what his career demands at this stage, joining an ambitious, newly minted continental project in Besiktas felt like the perfect alignment of stars. He views this transition as a profound reset button. “It’s a new start for me, and I think it goes along with what Besiktas is doing,” he explained, nodding to the club’s desire to shake up the EuroLeague.
Heading into a marathon in the 2026–27 Regular Season, physical and emotional baseline is everything. Fortunately, the lethal scorer is starting this campaign with full batteries. He smiled while describing his current state, revealing that he feels excellent physically and, crucially, ‘mentally refreshed, which is a welcome feeling’.
That psychological rejuvenation is partly fueled by his early impressions of head coach Dusan Alimpijevic. Wilbekin has spent his life working under some of the most famously demanding, high-pressure tacticians in the sport, but his new boss brings a completely unexpected approach. “He’s pretty funny. I wouldn’t expect it, yeah. He has a lot of jokes,” mentioned the 33-year-old combo guard.
When scanning the locker room and looking at how the front office built this roster, the American playmaker can’t help but experience a bit of deja vu. The collective hunger and baseline ambition instantly transported him back to an iconic era of his past. “Maybe you could compare it to my second year at Darussafaka,” he mused, recalling that specific chapter as a whirlwind context.
Pranks, rookies, physicality
Even as an Istanbul fixture who has navigated the city’s intense culture for years, his first few mornings at the training facility brought a hilariously humbling cultural lesson. He shared a lighthearted story about his crash course in the club’s iconic hand gesture.
“I thought the guy was joking with me at first, trying to make me do something silly,” he admitted, laughing at how he initially mistook the Eagle Claws symbol for a scary monster.
Boasting a resume of 248 appearances at the absolute pinnacle of European basketball, leadership isn’t just an abstract concept for Wilbekin, but it’s a daily responsibility. While a significant portion of the squad is stepping into this tier for the first time, he doesn’t treat them like rookies. “They’re not rookies in any sense of the word, other than it’s their first year in EuroLeague,” he pointed out.
Protecting the self
Looking back at his own initial leap across the Atlantic, he openly acknowledged that no amount of tape can truly prepare an American player for the initial shock of this league. While the tournament has earned massive respect stateside in recent years, Wilbekin remembers being totally stunned by the baseline quality of the competition.
The veteran also used the conversation to clear up a classic bit of folklore regarding his early days in Turkiye. For years, fans assumed his clutch, preseason game-winning shot was the catalyst that secured his employment with Dacka. He set the timeline straight with a chuckle, clarifying that the famous shot actually happened during an preseason match before he finalized any paperwork, with the official contract arriving a few weeks down the road.
The conversation shifted to the emotional gravity of his recent past, particularly his complicated exit from Fenerbahce. That painful closing chapter profoundly dictated what he prioritized when scanning the free-agent market for his next home. Carefully choosing his words, he highlighted a desire for structural safety and human respect above all else. “Before I signed, I just wanted to make sure that the team was really looking out for me. I’ll just say that,” he noted.
Make 
Your Preferred Basketball Source.
Add Eurohoops to Google